Harsh Reality
by yumi michiyo
Summary: Inuyasha shares unwanted insights with Sango. Unexpected consequences ensue. Inuyasha/Sango, a serial based on LJ prompts from Inuyasha Themes.
1. Harsh Reality

Written for **iy_themes**, prompt: Rose.

* * *

Inuyasha spotted her from far away, sitting on the grassy hill.

"Where's the monk?," he asked, sitting down beside her.

Sango looked up in mild surprise. "Oh – it's you, Inuyasha. I think Houshi-sama's gone to the village."

He grunted, understanding the implication. "Idiot lech." She offered a sad smile in return.

They sat in companionable silence for a while, watching the wind chase the clouds across the sky.

"Don't you get tired of it?"

"What?" The slayer was half-asleep, drowsing in the heat of the day and missed the question. Keen gold eyes focused on her. "Miroku's flirting," he said bluntly. "Don't you get tired of it?"

Sango was at a loss for words. "I…"

"He's not going to change. You know that."

Now she was speechless for a different reason. "Inuyasha, where did this come from?" she demanded hotly as the blood rose into her face. "Quite frankly, it's none of your business!"

The hanyou shrugged carelessly. "I thought you were better than that."

Friend or not, Inuyasha had gone too far. Sango got up, incandescent with rage.

"For your information, my relationship with Houshi-sama is none of your concern and I don't appreciate commentary," she hissed.

He was standing too, Tetsusaiga clasped in one hand. There was an inscrutable expression in his sharp gold eyes.

"You deserve better. That's all I'm saying," stated the hanyou calmly. Quietly, he turned and left, the wind billowing in his long silver hair.

She watched dumbly as he left. A tear slid silently down her cheeks: not because Inuyasha's words had stung her, but because deep down, she knew them to be true. The slayer knew he was perceptive but she had not been prepared for something like this.

Had she been grasping at false hopes all this time?


	2. Forgiveness

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Silk' at **_iy_themes_**. Word limit was 750, part 2 of the serial _Harsh Reality_.

* * *

Sango fidgeted with the sleeve of her silk kimono. Almost immediately, a hand swooped down, delivering a sharp smack to the offending fingers.

"Sango-san!" came the sharp rebuke from one of her attendants. "Stop that, you'll damage that lovely uchikake of yours!" The other attendants tutted in disapproval. The bride – demon slayer no more – stared bleakly back at the woman. Once the excitement had died down, she resumed her nervous picking, the fine threads of silk beginning to unwind.

Already she had forgotten all their names: they were women from Kaede's village who had taken it upon themselves to assist in the wedding since Sango had no living family.

How Sango wished it was Kagome with her on her special day: Kagome, her soul sister from the future and her dearest friend. She had no need for all these chattering, shallow women.

_Was_ her dearest friend, Sango corrected herself bitterly. The joy she should have been feeling today had come at a steep price.

She firmed her jaw resolutely; the last thing she wanted was to have the attendants scold her for causing her elaborate make-up to run again.

A flurry of chatter outside told her it was time. The women, twittering excitedly, guided her to the main hall. Although Sango kept her face cast downwards like a good bride, her anxious eyes darted left and right, scanning the faces of the guests present, hoping to catch of glimpse of two familiar faces.

No such luck. She vaguely recognized the people filling in for the bride and groom's families – since they were either dead or unwilling to attend – as being from Kaede's village, all eager for the merry-making that came with a wedding. Sango's heart plummeted. It seemed her betrayal was not easy to forgive.

Sango joined her groom, kneeling on the plush cushion placed on the raised dais at the end of the hall. It was of finest silk as well: one of the many gifts from the villagers in thanks for the many demon exterminations she and her groom had performed for them.

He was startlingly handsome in his stiff, formal haori, so different from his daily attire. It was the first time they had seen each other in their wedding finery and the bride found the flared black shoulders of the jacket flamboyant – a stark contrast to her groom's austerity. The odd look he shot her as she had sat down hinted he was thinking along the same lines.

She briefly wondered whether their happiness at the expense of her friends' was worth it.

The man beside her shifted slightly on his cushion, a hand reaching out and squeezing one of the white-knuckled ones resting on her lap. Sango felt some of the inner turmoil bleed out under his warm grasp.

"It'll be all right," he said softly.

Sango looked up into his face. Gentle amber eyes framed with a mass of sleek silver hair smiled back sadly. The triangular tips of two dog ears were barely visible at the crown of his head.

She forced a smile to her face: she had been doing that a lot lately. At least Sango was certain Inuyasha understood exactly how she was feeling – he was experiencing the exact same thing she was.

Painful as it was, Sango was reassured she had not made the wrong decision.

Before the joining ceremony could begin, there was a small ruckus at the entrance to the hall which drew many stares and mutterings.

"Let us in! I don't care who you think you are, we're friends of the couple!"

Sango's heart leapt: that familiar voice could only have belonged to one person.

The sliding door was forced open roughly and an angry, red-faced Kagome stalked in, dressed in a flowing formal kimono. Following close behind were Miroku and Shippou.

"Kagome-chan – !" murmured Sango in disbelief. Beside her, Inuyasha visibly tensed, emotion clouding his eyes as the trio took their places in the hall amid the flurry of whispering that had erupted.

Miroku's face was veiled, deliberately kept free of any expression. The mask slipped visibly when he looked at the couple seated on the dais but he soon regained his control, nodding at them both with a strained smile. Shippou's held only genuine happiness for the soon-to-be-wed pair.

Sango kept her eyes fixed on the younger girl: eventually, she looked up. Her eyes appeared red and swollen but Sango could not be quite certain from the distance. A heartbeat passed: finally, Kagome smiled.


	3. Understanding

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Anniversary' at **_iy_themes_**. Word limit was 2000 and this is part 3 of the serial _Harsh Reality_.

* * *

Kagome stepped outside of the hall into the blessedly cool night with a sigh: it was getting too hot in there for her liking, especially with the new and still-stiff kimono she wore. The formal clothes were far too hot for the season.

Not to mention the atmosphere was becoming too much for her to handle.

Laughter drifted over from the ajar door to where she stood, looking up at the inky black sky. The celebrations were not going to end any time soon, she guessed, judging by the raucous sounds of merry-making. Somewhere in the heat and noise, Kagome pictured Inuyasha and Sango together, rejoicing in their union.

She remembered his soft amber eyes, filled with adoration, and knew she would never see them again: things would never be the same for them all. A tight lump formed in her throat; she had to sit down and wait for it to pass.

"Is everything alright, Kagome-sama?"

She jumped a little; even after all the years, the man could still sneak up on her like that.

"… I'm fine."

He joined her on the gentle slope. "I noticed you had left."

"Yes," Kagome answered, keeping her eyes trained on the ground. "It was getting too hot inside."

A silence followed, in which she contemplated the patch of grass in front of her thoroughly as though waiting for it to rise up and attack her.

Miroku's hand – his now uncursed right one – entered her field of vision, picking a blade of grass, twirling it between his fingertips.

"I would have never guessed they would pick today for their _wedding_." The last word was pronounced delicately, with the faintest trace of venom: Kagome lifted her head to scrutinize him.

"They didn't. The villagers selected today because it was the first day after the harvest, when they'd have time for a proper celebration – " a shadow passed over her eyes " – to celebrate the union of their heroes."

The monk smiled; it did not quite reach his eyes. "Ah – cruel coincidence, then."

The young miko forgot her heartache for the moment. "Coincidence?"

"Unfortunately." Miroku leaned back on his elbows, turning his full attention to the stars above. "It was exactly two years ago today I proposed to Sango."

Kagome gave a start. "Surely not?" She could only imagine what he was going through. "Miroku-sama…"

"I remember the day so clearly. A warm summer's day by the river…" His voice trailed off; Miroku's eyes were shut, as though half-asleep. If she had not known him better, she would have missed the pain in his tone. "I secretly dreamed we would be married on this day."

"… I'm sorry." Kagome did not know what else to say. She knew the agony of broken hopes as intimately as he did: from her own experience, the miko also knew words were hollow comfort.

Miroku shook his head. "Don't be. I should have seen it coming, neh?"

"So should I," she told him with a wry smile. "I was so blind to his needs: oblivious he was drifting away– " Kagome broke off abruptly, covering her face with a hand.

Warm fingers covered her own and gently lifted them away. Miroku's violet eyes gazed into her own sapphire ones, the liquid pain in them mirroring her own.

"I was blind too," the monk said softly. "Blind to the fact I couldn't be what she needed: I was never the man she wanted."

A single tear fell unchecked; she wiped it away hastily with the back of her free hand.

"We ended up losing after all," Kagome admitted. She had never voiced out this particular opinion of hers before. "We've each lost family and now, someone we loved."

A genuine smile curved his lips, surprising her. "I wouldn't call us losers. In the end, we still have each other. As friends, of course." The last sentence was added hastily, almost as an afterthought. Kagome's hand was still clasped in his; she felt no hurry to remove it.

Looking into his face, she could not help but to smile as well. "That's true."

The miko dropped her head to her kimono, tugging on her the obi with her free hand, trying to loosen the restrictive fabric. "You know, Miroku-sama, I wasn't expecting you to show up today."

"Why would you think that?" He kept his tone light and mildly quizzical.

She bit her lip nervously. "I… "

"Because I took it the hardest?"

She paused, and finally nodded. "You stormed out and never came back… Hachi said you'd returned to the temple but when they went to find you, you'd already left…"

"I needed to be alone for a while," Miroku explained. "I wandered the country for a while; it's been a long time since I've traveled alone."

"… I see."

"And you, Kagome-sama?" He faced her, supplanting the travel-weary expression that had crept over his features with an earnest one.

"I tried to return to my time immediately after they… _announced_ it, but the well was blocked." She vaguely recalled the memory: kneeling in the dirt, tearing her fingers bloody, screaming and sobbing her anguish as Inuyasha and Sango tried to calm her down. The hanyou had wrapped his arms around her, saying all the nonsense he could think of to try and soothe her and all she could think of was how she had lost everything. Her family, and now him.

"They left for the demon slayers' village not long after that. I stayed here and trained as Kaede's apprentice."

Kagome had been glad when they left. She had flatly refused to see them at all, barricading herself in her hut. The memory of Sango's tears and Inuyasha's stricken face wrenched at her heart even now, nearly a year later.

Miroku understood without need for words. "In that case, I'm surprised to meet you here tonight."

"I surprised myself as well." Kagome initially had no intention of attending the wedding, despite the best efforts of Shippou and Kaede. The elderly miko had even gone as far as to lay out a beautiful formal kimono in her hut with the unspoken implication hanging.

It had been the ghosts of the past, the fond memories she still cherished that had changed her mind: if not to give her blessing to the couple, then to her friends. That was all they were now, were they not?

"I also had no intention of coming today." Miroku told her. "Especially not when it fell on this day. But – "

" – but they're your friends too, aren't they? No matter what."

He surprised her by laughing aloud. "Very mature of you, Kagome-sama, if you don't mind my saying so."

"I've been doing a lot of growing up."

Silence fell over the both of them, this time not as uneasy as the first. In the weak light of the moon, Kagome appraised the monk: he was different, his face had lost some of its boyish roundness and those eyes…

They were deeper than they looked.

He turned to her and she felt the colour rise in her face. Kagome knew she had changed as well; she was no longer the naïve adolescent who dreamed of a happy ever after with her knight in shining armour. They had both grown older and wiser.

Kagome watched Miroku's eyes tear themselves away from her; she was secretly glad. It was too soon for them to open their hearts to others again; the wounds had only just begun to close.

"Will you talk to them?" she asked bluntly. Confusion – and something else, she noted – darkened the violet to black.

"Will _you_?" he directed back at her.

She smiled. "It's been a year – I think they deserve to hear at least a word of congratulations from us."

He sighed. "You were always the warm-hearted one of the group, Kagome-sama."

The miko brushed off the compliment carelessly as though she was dusting a snowflake off her shoulder. "You know, only now I realized what my mother had told me once."

Miroku blinked.

"She said truly loving someone is when you want them to be happy, no matter what." Kagome got to her feet, looking Miroku squarely in the eye. "I'm just glad Inuyasha is happy, even if he didn't find it with me."

The monk was silent. "I know," he said, his voice breaking. "I know. But it's so hard."

She bent down and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.

"It isn't easy for me as well… I feel like such a hypocrite," she confessed. "I heal people daily, but I can't even heal myself."

"Nothing heals a broken heart like time does."

A wistful look came into Kagome's eye; she knew all too well the truth of his words.

"Do you think she remembers?" asked the young monk abruptly.

"Remembers what?"

"The anniversary. Whether it was today."

Kagome looked off into the middle distance. "Miroku-sama… I know she does." She looked back at him. "We will all remember this anniversary for different reasons."


	4. Regret

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Close' at _**iy_themes**_. Word limit was 300 and this is part 4 of the serial _Harsh Reality_.

* * *

Inuyasha hated the stifling heat and the loud shouting. He hated having to smile and act grateful every time a drunken man would toast yet again to the happy couple. Most of all, he hated himself for doing the things that had landed him in this situation.

The hanyou would carry the memory of Kagome and Miroku's stricken faces to his grave, a proverbial millstone around his neck.

He glanced sideways to his bride; Sango sat, her delicate fingers curled around a half-filled cup of sake, her eyes downcast. Inuyasha knew that look: knew her thoughts now were for the friendships they both had lost.

"Shall we sneak outside for a while?" he murmured in her ear. Without waiting for her answer, Inuyasha took her hand and led her outside.

It was colder than he had expected it to be; he felt Sango gasp and snuggle into him for warmth. He rested his chin on top of her head, completing the embrace.

"Inuyasha? Should we look for them?"

One ear twitched at the unexpected query. Uncertain Sango made him nervous: Inuyasha was too used to her firm self-conviction.

"I... don't know. We can, if you want to."

"I do – but I don't know what to say," Sango confessed, looking up into her husband's shadowed eyes.

He grunted. "It doesn't matter anyway: they'll still hate us."

"We were so close to marrying other people, me to Houshi-sama and you to Kagome-chan, and we just had to go and screw that up, didn't we?"

The bitterness in her voice startled him. Inuyasha abruptly pulled her closer, apparently deciding Sango needed his support most of all now.

"Best mistake I ever made in my life," he said so softly she barely heard him.

Sango smiled, the almost-shed tears in her eyes completely forgotten.


	5. Hatred

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Sin' at _**iy_themes**_. Word limit was 250 and this is part 5 of the serial _Harsh Reality_.

* * *

Kagome struggled to keep her heart from beating out of her chest as she and Miroku entered the stifling hall, searching for the newlyweds.

_Why am I so nervous,_ she chided herself. _They've been my friends for so long. _Her hands fidgeted repeatedly in the sleeves of her kimono.

"Almost there, Kagome-sama," murmured Miroku in her ear, deftly steering her around a cluster of men towards the seats of honour, "they should be here," – only to find them empty.

His jaw tightened a fraction and she knew what was running through his mind.

"Perhaps they went outside for some air, like we did," she suggested timidly. The monk nodded, the tightness not leaving his face.

"Perhaps so." Miroku's voice was strained with false cheer. "Maybe we should not disturb – "

Cutting him off, Kagome took his hand and led him firmly towards the doors. She was secretly glad for the reprieve; somehow, she doubted she would be able to stay calm when face-to-face with the couple the way she was feeling.

The priestess was sure she had only a few fragments where her heart had been. What Inuyasha and Sango had not broken off and taken with them were being carved away nightly by her guilt.

She felt tainted; hating herself for hating them: _falling in love is no sin – but denying it is,_ Kagome thought bitterly. The kamis she now served had played her for a fool; she had given everything and lost it all, save a broken companion.


	6. Burnt Bridges

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Plan' at _**iy_themes**_. Word limit was 400 and this is part 6 of the serial _Harsh Reality_.

* * *

Kagome and Miroku wandered back outside – and found themselves face to face with Inuyasha and Sango.

The young miko quickly brought herself to speak past the lump in her throat. "Inuyasha, Sango-chan." Miroku came out of his trance and murmured his greetings.

It was difficult to say who was more distraught. Inuyasha's face was stony; Sango looked on the verge of tears. The monk firmed his jaw.

Kagome did the only thing that seemed natural to her at the moment: she opened her arms to her former best friend. An almost palpable flurry of confusion ran through the others.

The former slayer made a muffled sob before rushing into the hug. "We didn't plan for this to happen – " she muttered through her tears, once she had calmed down a little.

"We know," said Miroku, perhaps a little too quickly.

Inuyasha's shoulders were still squared with tension; Sango slowly disengaged herself from Kagome's arms with a watery smile.

It was too late, they all realized belatedly; the bridges had been burnt into ash which had then been scattered on the wind. The damage had been done and there was no way things could go back to the way they had been before.

Kagome recovered the fastest; she reached into a fold of her sleeve. "Inuyasha, wait."

The hanyou froze in the act of walking away. "Kagome?"

She handed him something that rattled in her hand: smooth beads worn from constant wear without their string. "Could you please keep this for me?"

He blinked at it as the memories came rushing back. The enchanted beads, designed to keep him in check and under Kagome's control; the beads which represented their bond and much later became his ball-and-chain; the beads which the miko had removed the day they had parted ways for the first time.

Mechanically, the hanyou reached out to take the handful of beads. His clawed fingers gently grazed Kagome's slender ones: she flinched as though burnt.

"Thank you," he heard himself say. Sango was at his side, squeezing his free hand, warming and strengthening him with her presence.

Kagome smiled wistfully. "You've really changed a lot; you never used to say that before." Inuyasha caught the unspoken implication: _before we went our separate ways, when we still shared a special bond._

_If only you knew what we had was no more than a glorified master-and-slave relationship, _thought the hanyou.


	7. Prologue

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Blood' at _**iy_themes**_. Word limit was 750 and this is part 7 of the serial _Harsh Reality_.

_

* * *

_

_Three years previously_

Inuyasha stomped along the road, in a bad mood, his companions trailing after him. With every step he took, the unwelcome beads clattered around his neck, reminding him of his obligation to Kagome.

No one had ever asked him whether he wanted it in the first place. They – even _she_ – had treated him like a savage beast to be tamed and subdued.

Losing the beads had been... _liberating_. He did as he pleased like in the years before; he said what he felt like saying without fear of being slammed face-first into the soil with a word. Inuyasha was truly his own master again.

When the fight was over, the hanyou had been dismayed to be tricked into wearing the symbol of his bondage again; he had returned to Kagome's side faithfully like the dog in his blood only to be leashed and muzzled. He trusted – maybe even cared for – the strange, lovable girl in his own way but this was a betrayal of his feelings.

The worst part: she was happy about it.

"_Don't you trust me by now?" _

"_Sure I do. I just don't want you running off by yourself."_

"Inuyasha?"

A tentative voice breaking through his red haze; Sango was standing just behind him.

"What?"

"It's late. We should stop and set up camp for the night."

His eyes darted around; the others tried not to show their fatigue.

"Fine," he said curtly. "I'm going hunting for food."

"I'll come with you."

Inuyasha scowled; Sango stared back, her eyes just as determined as his. He backed down, not wishing for another conflict with the other female member of the group.

"Keh. Do as you please."

She vanished into the forest to change into her slayers' attire; the hanyou folded his arms and waited, not even bothering to clout Miroku as the lecherous monk inched closer to the thicket Sango was concealed in.

Sure enough, once he crossed an invisible boundary, a pebble shot out of the wood and hit his cheek.

"Ouch!"

Sango emerged from the thicket, adjusting her boots and wearing a deeply disdainful expression. "The next time you try that, Houshi-sama, and it'll be more than a pebble."

She brushed off his apologies, motioning to Inuyasha to be off, taking up her short sword as she walked.

Together, they melted into the forest, all the hanyou's senses afire for the prey. By unspoken agreement, they had their tasks: she would stalk and flush them out, he would dispatch them.

Sango knelt down and traced a mark in the muddy ground with a finger. "Rabbit. Still fresh."

"Better than nothing," he snorted, crouching low and sniffing the air vigorously. Inuyasha nearly missed her small smile as he picked up the scent of the rabbit.

They broke into a run, moving through the clearing soundlessly. The hanyou struck: the rabbit fell dead with barely a cry.

"Let's go back," he told her, wiping the blood from his face with the back of his hand.

Sango made a sound of irritation, plunging the tip of her unsheathed sword into the ground. "I don't understand why you let me come along, Inuyasha, when you're not going to give me anything to do."

He smiled for the first time that day at her unhappiness. "Hey, you wanted to tag along. I didn't ask you." She shrugged carelessly at that and turned to go, wiping the dirt from her sword with a leaf.

Inuyasha hefted the carcass over his shoulder and fell into an easy pace with her. It was refreshing to be away from the others: Kagome's quick temper and even quicker tendency to 'sit' him; Miroku's never-tiring lechery and dishonesty; even the antics of Shippou.

"Kagome-chan shouldn't have done that. It must be hard for you." Inuyasha glanced sharply at Sango; the expression on her face was deliberately blank. He refused to say anything, he knew she knew his exact feelings without him having to verbalize it.

Sometimes, it seemed that he and Sango were the only sane people. She had the same warrior's fierce pride, she understood his way of thinking better than the others did. Above all, she knew what it was like to lose everything.

"Yeah," he answered off-handedly. Inuyasha was never going to tell her why he always let her come hunting with him whenever he had fought with Kagome.


	8. Alike

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Mind' at _**iy_themes**_. Word limit was 200 and this is part 8 of the serial _Harsh Reality_.

* * *

One of the things she noticed about him was his mind.

His tendency to freely, constantly give away pieces of it, rather than any wit and wisdom.

Irritable, quick-tempered and foul-mouthed, Sango had never met anyone as disagreeable as Inuyasha. He acted as though he bore a grudge against everything; rude even towards Kagome, Miroku and herself.

Later on in their journey, as the others warmed up to her (as she was trying to kill them when they first met) Sango learned the reason for his foul disposition: the outcast hanyou who had spent most of his life on the outside looking in had been betrayed the one and only time he had opened his heart to someone. A woman, no less. Kagome had been most reluctant to discuss it, seeing as she was the reincarnation of the said woman.

Much to her credit, Sango's attitude towards him remained unchanged. She understood he did not want pity or sympathy; he was much too proud for that.

Inuyasha was determined, proud and single-minded. Toughened by the cruel ways of the world before his time, he lived to fight and revenge himself on those who had wronged him.

So much like herself.


	9. Assurance

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Bark' at _**iy_themes**_. Word limit was 500 and this is part 9 of the serial _Harsh Reality_.

* * *

It could have been anything, really.

There were so many telltale signs: the listless way Kagome poked at the fire, the faraway look in her eyes, the sigh she heaved every now and then.

Unable to ignore them any longer, Miroku sidled over to her. "What's wrong, Kagome-sama?"

"Nothing."

He chuckled. "You're thinking about Inuyasha, aren't you?"

Slowly, the pensive look on the miko's face changed into one of abject horror and embarrassment – _adorable, but not as much as Sango's_, he thought – and the monk laughed harder.

"How did you – "

"It's written all over your face." Miroku eased the stick from between limp, unresisting fingers and raked the crumbling wood.

She heaved an even deeper sigh of despair, her body curved in an attitude of defeat.

"Miroku-sama... do you think Inuyasha hates me?"

He dropped the stick. "What are you saying, Kagome-sama? Inuyasha could never hate you." The monk had been expecting anything else; complaints about the hanyou's less-than-pleasant demeanour, his inability to forget Kikyou, his incredible stubborness. Anything but_ this._

The miko drew her knees to her chin, her hair hiding her face from view. "I know that, but... when I put the rosary on him, the way he looked at me..."

"You did nothing wrong," declared the monk staunchly. "He would never have worn the rosary otherwise and Buddha knows, he needs it."

"Yes, but – "

Miroku interrupted the tumble of words with a warm hand on her ankle. "Kagome-sama, it is difficult choosing between doing what is right and what is easy."

She looked up at him, seeing the conviction in his eyes she did not know was not meant for her.

Miroku would liked to have courted Sango in any other situation, if they were just an ordinary boy and a girl. But both she and he had their own important missions to complete; he cared about her too much to let anything else distract her. The hurt in her eyes haunted him.

Most of all, Miroku wanted to experience and sustain the moment Kagome was always scolding him for ruining.

Kagome's fingers found a piece of sloughed-off bark in the grass; absently, she began picking at it.

"Maybe I shouldn't have tricked him into wearing the rosary. I should have just trusted him."

"We could sit here and argue all night, if you wish," he answered softly. "Inuyasha could never hate you, definitely not over something as small as this."

"Perhaps you're right." Kagome stood up, brushing the last of the fragments of bark from her skirt with a newfound briskness. "Thank you, Miroku-sama. Sango was right; you'd be so much better to talk to if only you weren't such a lecher all the time."

_There's a very good reason for that, my dear Sango, _thought the monk bitterly. The prayer beads on his right hand rattled as he picked up his shakujou.


	10. The Deceptive Calm

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Bug' at _**iy_themes**_. Word limit was 400 and this is part 10 of the serial _Harsh Reality_.

* * *

To say Inuyasha was surprised to come back to a cheerful Kagome was a bit of an understatement. He hid it well though; with little more than a "Keh" devoid of its usual grumpiness.

"What did you say to her, Houshi-sama?" asked Sango quietly as the miko chattered on. Miroku smiled.

"Nothing much. Just a few words of reassurance."

She smiled. "I haven't seen Kagome-chan this happy in a while. Thank you."

Miroku belatedly realised he has not seen Sango smile for a time as well; thrown, he forgot to be lecherous as she walked away to prepare for bed.

In the darkness of the camp, the slayer could have sworn she saw Inuyasha smile.

The next day, everything seemed back to normal. The miko and the hanyou are squabbling over something trivial, Shippou loudly adding his input; it got him a clout over the head as usual.

Miroku leaned over. "I never thought I'd say this, but I've missed this. It was too quiet before."

Sango laughed. "Give it a day or two; it'll begin to grate on your nerves again."

They turned their attention back to the feuding pair; Inuyasha has his arms folded, claws tapping impatiently on his elbow.

"Damnit, Kagome, you're seriously beginning to bug me. For the last time, you can't go back for two weeks straight!"

She huffed. "Inuyasha, I have an important test coming up. I can't afford to fail or miss this one – like I did for the others..."

"You spend too much time on these test things," snorted the hanyou. Abruptly, his expression changed. His eyes flashed sideways; body now taut with tension.

On cue, goblin youkai leapt out of the surrounding wood. "These ambushes are getting a little annoying," commented Miroku.

Inuyasha grinned. "I'll make quick work of these lot with one swing."

The battle raged on for a while. The youkai are a lot stronger than the group expected; even Inuyasha seemed to be having difficulty.

Miroku grunted. He was completely surrounded by a group, blocking him in; Inuyasha blasted those around him to shreds –

"Inuyasha!"

He spun around, chest tightening; Kagome was overwhelmed by youkai, swarming to land the kill –

– at the same time, Sango released the Hiraikotsu, not noticing the blade hurtling towards her back –

– Inuyasha sprang into action.


	11. Aftermath

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Dark' at _**iy_themes**_. Word limit was 750 and this is part 11 of the serial _Harsh Reality_.

* * *

Kagome was safe, nestled in his arms with not a single scratch on her.

The same could not be said for Sango; although she had twisted at the last second at Inuyasha's shouted warning, the claws still managed to land a glancing blow, prompting a hiss of pain from her.

"Sango!" Miroku fought desperately to reach her side as the youkai surrounding him hemmed closer.

A white blur; the slayer drew her wakizashi and dispatched her attacker. "I'm alright, Houshi-sama!"

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. The scent of her blood was rapidly filling the air; she was most certainly not alright. "You're badly wounded, Sango!" he shouted.

He had no choice but to continue fighting on, destroying as many youkai as quickly as he could. The sooner the fight was over, the better.

Finally – after what seemed like an eternity – the last few stragglers ran squealing into the forest. The first thing Miroku did was to attend to Sango, who had fell to her knees, clutching her Hiraikotsu for support.

"Sango-chan!" Kagome ran to her ashen-faced friend's side. Although he tried his best to act nonchalant, all Inuyasha could smell was blood; it brought up unwanted memories of another woman, drenched in her own blood, who had died for him...

~***~

Sango, her wounds cleaned and dressed, eased herself gingerly on the pallet into a more comfortable position. Even with Kagome's help, she winced with every movement.

Inuyasha hovered just outside the door, his ears twitching relentlessly. Once they told him Sango had been comfortably settled, he barged in.

"Inuyasha?"

"Sango, I wanna talk to you," he said gruffly. Kagome shot a look between them both before exiting, mumbling an excuse about Miroku and Shippou needing her attention. Somehow she sensed there was a link between her hanyou's odd behaviour and Sango's injury, althought its true nature escaped her.

"What is it?"

He fidgeted; his claws danced on the skin of his arm, hidden from her sight under his sleeve. "You got injured because of me," he forced out.

She blinked in confusion. "What?"

Inuyasha looked away. Conflicting feelings were clouding his vision; he wondered why they surfaced now, of all times. They had never haunted him when he was with Kagome – her reincarnation.

Sango guessed what was plaguing him. "I was injured because I was careless, that's all," she said softly. "You had nothing to do with it – "

" – I could have saved you!"

"You saved Kagome-chan. That's what's important." She made a small motion with her hand, indicating the conversation was closed. "I am supposed to take care of myself; it's not your fault, Inuyasha." Sango offered him a faint smile.

A part of him was relieved; she forgave him, it was not his fault. At least he would only have the blood of one woman staining his claws; that dark past of his would remain dormant. But still...

Sango was pack. It was his duty to protect them all but the unspoken agreement between himself and Miroku was that each man would look after his own woman.

The monk was only human. How could he be relied on to constantly save Sango without one or both getting hurt?

Inuyasha turned and bounded out of the hut, leaving behind a very puzzled Sango. "Miroku." The monk was instantly alert.

"Take better care of her, bouzu."

"Inuyasha?" The hanyou was gone into the trees.


	12. Uneasy

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Light' at** iy_themes**. Word limit was 500 and this is part 12 of the serial _Harsh Reality_.

* * *

Sango knew she should have been asleep.

Easier said than done, especially with the memory of that strange conversation with Inuyasha repeatedly running through her mind.

It was so unlike him to take responsibility for her – even though she knew he cared for her in his own way – and apologise. Sango had never seen him so abashed, guilty, remorseful... She would have thought the softer side of Inuyasha something reserved for only Kagome – and perhaps Kikyou.

"Sango?"

She gave an involuntary start. Miroku, sitting across the wall, had opened his eyes.

"Houshi-sama..."

He rolled his neck, working the kinks out of his muscles. "Can't sleep?"

"No," she confessed, her hands picking at the corner of her blanket.

He smiled. "If you're worried about Inuyasha, I'm sure he'll be fine."

"I – Inuyasha?" Sango fought to disguise the tremor in her voice. "Why would I be thinking about him?"

"Don't you think his behaviour yesterday was rather uncharacteristic of him?" asked Miroku, quirking an eyebrow, "I know our friend is hardly the most affectionate of men, but I confess I was most surprised when he told me to take better care of you."

Her stomach lurched – followed by a surprisingly warm feeling. "Inuyasha said that?"

"Yes. He was right." Miroku's eyes darkened. "I should have been covering your back but I was careless and got separated from you. I should be apologising to you, Sango."

A flash of anger ran through her. Sango forced her torso upright, drawing a sound of surprise from him as he moved forward to stop her.

"First Inuyasha, and then you, Houshi-sama. I am not some weak woman who cannot defend herself and needs constant protection. I am a taijiya, first and foremost."

Miroku gripped her arm, looking as though he wanted to say something but thinking the better of it. "You shouldn't be moving – you'll aggravate those wounds." His tone was light, making her feel guilty. Taking off his kesa, he rolled it up and placed it under her shoulder – the same shoulder Sango had been suffering muscle cramps in because of the awkward position her injuries forced her into.

She blushed; embarassed by both her outburst and the way Miroku had responded to it – and a little touched he had noticed.

"... I'm sorry, Houshi-sama."

The monk eased himself back into his place, folding his arms across his chest, acknowledging her apology with a nod. "Get some sleep, Sango; tomorrow won't be easy, travelling with those injuries."

She bit her lip. It was not fair she should have Inuyasha on her mind when she had Miroku; despite his lecherous nature and ceaseless groping, it was evident he cared about her – perhaps as more than a mere travelling companion, she hoped.

But when Sango fell asleep – thanks to the eased shoulder – her last thoughts were of piercing golden eyes.


	13. Lamed

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'New' at** iy_themes**. Word limit was 300 and this is part 13 of the serial _Harsh Reality_.

* * *

"Damnit," growled Inuyasha. "Why did it have to be tonight?"

Kagome spared him an exasperated glance as she busied herself with the fire. "You say that every month, Inuyasha."

He snorted and angrily tossed back a black lock of hair that had fallen over his face. On the night on of the new moon, the hanyou was forced to give up his favourite perch in a convenient tree for the safety of the fire.

Sango watched from the other end as they began bickering again. Before, she would have simply sighed and put his ill temper – drastically worsened on his human nights – down to Inuyasha's resentment of his vulnerability.

Now she was looking at him in a completely different light.

He was a warrior, as was she; skill and strength was everything to them both. Sango knew she would be nothing without her training and her weapons. Inuyasha lost both his demonic powers and his sword once a month and was powerless to stop it.

How would it feel, the slayer wondered, to be blinded and lamed; to be completely helpless and vulnerable in a hostile world you had spent your life battling against?

Sango was seeing Inuyasha in a new way and it made her nervous.

Meanwhile, the fight was over. "Inuyasha! Osu – " Kagome hesitated, presumably not wanting to injure him while he was in his human form. Sango closed her eyes. It was probably the worst thing her friend could do.

Inuyasha noticed. "What's the matter, wench?" he called. "Lost your nerve?"

She regarded him through narrowed eyes. "Forget it. Jeez – you're such a pain in the neck on the new moon."

He looked away, cheeks flushed with impotent anger, hand tightening around his sword.


	14. Levity

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Blue Moon' at** iy_themes**. This is part 14 of the serial _Harsh Reality_.

* * *

Sango waited until the others had fallen asleep, counting down the minutes to the change of the watch.

He sat sentinel, the useless rusty Tetsusaiga clutched to his chest – _like a shield,_ she mused – and gazed at everything and nothing.

Finally, she slipped from her warm nest and tapped his shoulder.

"Get some rest – I'll take over the watch."

"Keh," grunted Inuyasha. "I don't sleep like this, you damn well know that." Angry violet eyes framed by black hair jabbed at Sango accusingly; he was more on edge than usual.

She chose to ignore the barely veiled hostility. "About Kagome-chan – "

"What about the wench?"

Inuyasha's human form was a lot easier to read. Although his human ears stayed resolutely still, the slayer read the lines of tension in his body and the defiant crease between his eyebrows.

"She didn't mean to annoy you." Sango drew her wakizashi, polishing the blade with a cloth. It was a lot harder without any moonlight but she persisted – she needed something to do with her hands. "You shouldn't be so defensive."

He snorted.

"Why not?" His tone was deliberately rude and mocking.

"We're your friends. We care about you." She watched his ramrod back from the corner of her eye; it showed no signs of unbending.

"You don't understand what it's like, being powerless in this puny form," Inuyasha growled at length.

Sango set down her wakizashi. "On the contrary, I do." She turned her attention to the sheath, running the soft cloth over the lacquer. "Do you remember the first time we met?"

"Yeah – you fucking tried to kill us."

"And you saved my life in spite of that," she added with a half-smile. "But before that, my wounds were so bad, I could barely walk. The only thing keeping me going was revenge." The slayer finished tending to the sheath; she returned it to her bundle of things. "The time spent healing after that was... terrible. I was so weak and dependent on the goodwill of strangers – people who a few scant hours before I tried to kill – and so alone. Everyone I knew and loved was dead – and I was helpless to even avenge them."

Her voice had sunk to a whisper – to her chagrin, Sango found tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Never say I don't know what it's like, Inuyasha," the slayer said at last.

He had remained silent as she spoke. Sango jumped a little when she felt his hand awkwardly patting her knee.

"We got a lot in common," admitted Inuyasha, the palm of his hand continuing to rise and fall in odd jerky motions.

She caught his hand in both of hers; partly to get his immediate and full attention, partly to relieve both their embarrassment. "Apologise to Kagome-chan in the morning," said Sango, only half-joking.

"What? No bloody way." The serious mood quickly evaporated into light-heartedness.

"Do it, or I'll whack you with Hiraikotsu," she joked.

"Keh, like that would hurt me."

"But then Kagome-chan would think you groped me, and she'll 'osuwari' you into the ground."

A silence – Sango wondered whether she had gone too far, making light of his forced binding to the schoolgirl. "Inuyasha, I – "

He was laughing at her, his violet eyes dancing with merriment. "You don't make jokes very often, don't you?"

"N – no, I... stop laughing at me, it's not funny!" She felt her cheeks burning vividly.

Her feeble attempts at protest only made him laugh harder. "Sango making jokes? That only happens once in a blue moon, don't you think?"

The slayer gave up, letting a smile of her own light up her features. Let her be the buffoon just this once; it was rarer than a blue moon seeing Inuyasha so happy during moonless nights.


	15. Preoccupied

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Wild' at** iy_themes**. This is part 15.

* * *

Kagome could not fathom precisely why Inuyasha was strangely cheerful the next day; she had mentally prepared herself for a few days of surliness but found none.

"Inuyasha, is everything alright?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Of course – I'm not in that weak human form anymore," he snapped with his customary gruffness. "Quit dawdling and let's go."

But she had spent enough time with him – studying him as closely as one of her books, though she would rather die than admit it – and saw through his veneer.

Inuyasha _was_ happy – and for the first time since they had met, she was not the cause of it.

Selfish and immature as the thought was, the darker side of Kagome entertained it for a few brief seconds before banishing it.

"Kagome-sama, is anything the matter?"

She paused long enough in her ruminations to smile up at Miroku, who had just slowed his pace to join her. "I'm just worried about a test I have," she lied through her teeth.

"Would this test of yours be concerning Inuyasha, since you've been staring intently at him for a while?"

The schoolgirl's heart beat wildly. "I – why aren't you with Sango?" Kagome hedged.

He heaved a sigh. "Alas, she has little faith in my ability to keep my hands to myself and has sought refuge with our hanyou friend."

Kagome rolled her eyes, effectively distracted as the monk began to talk.


	16. Off the Deep End

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Snow' at** iy_themes**. This is part 16.

* * *

Kagome waited until the mostly one-sided conversation reached a natural lull.

"Miroku-sama," she began, and faltered.

He raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Kagome-sama?"

She bit her lip. Thoughts whirled and jumbled in her head as she fumbled for the words to make it as tactful and nonchalant as possible –

Miroku followed her gaze and smiled sadly. "Inuyasha and Sango. I've noticed too."

"You – what?" The tension deflated instantly; Kagome found herself at a sudden loss for words.

"They've been a lot closer than usual, since the incident with Sou'unga." The monk's eyes took on an unreadable expression. "Sango... she doesn't talk to me as much as she used to."

Before Kagome could respond, a loud voice cut through her thoughts. "Hey – what're you two whispering about back there? Hurry up, we haven't got all day." Inuyasha had his arms folded across his chest, familiar scowl in place. Sango watched impassively; perhaps with a flicker of annoyance at her comrade's rudeness.

It could have been perfectly normal, had they not been standing so close.

Kagome flushed and quickened her step. "We're coming! It's you who's walking fast!"

He snorted, turning on his heel. "Feh. Just walk faster then, Kagome. You too, Miroku."

The monk offered up an apologetic smile – and took advantage of Inuyasha's distraction to smoothly engage Sango in conversation. Kagome rejoined the hanyou at the head of the little party and let the conversation slip to the back of her mind – for the time being.

* * *

That night, Kagome was determined to see things for herself; had she and Miroku been seeing things where there were none? Sango and Inuyasha were comrades and travel partners; warriors-in-arms who complemented the less physical skills of their other companions.

She kept an eye on them both throughout dinner; not an easy task, as it meant her being more quiet than was usual. Inuyasha sensed it and was himself subdued, waiting and watching for any signs that he was the cause of her current mood.

The thought depressed her.

When the silence grew too unbearable, the schoolgirl gathered up her bathing materials. "I'm going to bathe," she announced.

Sango got to her feet as well. "I'll come with you, Kagome-chan." Shooting a warning look at Miroku as she went, the slayer followed her friend through the quiet glade to the river.

_All I need now is for Kikyou to show up, or something as ridiculous as that, _thought Kagome wryly. A splash of cold water put an end to that flight of fancy.

She continually felt her best friend's eyes on her – and knew Sango was waiting for her to talk. Again Kagome felt the rush of nervousness she had earlier that day with Miroku; words, snowballing out of control.

Kagome took a deep breath and met her friend's worried gaze.


	17. Hiding

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Magic' at** iy_themes**.

* * *

"Sango-chan... you and Inuyasha are quite close these days."

Kagome cringed internally as soon as the words left her lips; despite all of her rhetoric skills, she never claimed to be good at handling herself when it came to Inuyasha.

Sango's eyes widened a fraction. "Kagome-chan – what makes you say that?"

_Oh, it couldn't be._ The younger girl's head snapped up. _She was... evading the question? _She did not know what to make of it.

"Well, you two have been spending more time together than usual." Kagome's eyes slid sideways. "Even Miroku-sama noticed."

The mention of the monk's name had the desired effect. Sango bit her lip, a sure sign she was uncomfortable. "... Houshi-sama told you that?" she said, a slight edge in her voice that had not been there before.

Things were going downhill, fast. Kagome decided to wrap it up. "He mentioned it in passing," the miko said lightly. "It's nothing, really. I was just curious."

Her friend nodded, her thoughts elsewhere.

* * *

Inuyasha opened one eye. "Don't even think about it, bouzu."

"I wasn't even going to – " Miroku broke off with a sigh and shifted his legs into a more comfortable position. "Spoilsport."

The hanyou ignored the light jab and turned his attention back to his senses; his nose had caught a momentary whiff of tears a short while earlier.

It had come from the direction of the girls; it had been cut off not long after by the overly fruity smell of Kagome's modern soaps. The magical substances drowned out all but the most obvious of scents any mere human would have noticed.

One of the girls was trying her best to hide her tears. He cursed; if only he had picked the scent up earlier, he would have determined who it was.

Inuyasha's ear pricked up; they were coming back. Discreetly, he sniffed the air as feminine voices announced their return –

– and he swore again; both had been crying.

_Now what?_


	18. Nighttime Visit

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Whisper' at **iy_themes**.

* * *

Gleaming gold eyes watched her in the middle of the night. She was far from asleep, her faint muffled sobs too faint for any human to hear.

"Hey," he said in a whisper. "You okay?"

She stiffened momentarily. "... I'm fine."

"Bullshit."

"What do you want?" she asked, a touch of irritation creeping into her voice. "You should be keeping watch."

"I am."

Sango sat up, scrubbing furiously at her face. "Then go watch over Kagome-chan, then, not me. Because she'll be upset if we were to spend even more time together."

Inuyasha grinned a little. "I didn't know you were this petty, Sango," he commented as her hand flew to her mouth. He settled into a comfortable cross-legged position. "Anyway, Shippou's sleeping with her. If I go over there, the runt'll wake up and start asking awkward questions."

The taijiya snorted. "So I'm the lucky one, eh?"

He ignored the acidly stinging tones. "Kagome's asleep. You're not. It's as simple as that."

Heaving a sigh, she drew her knees to her chin. "Why are you even doing this, Inuyasha? Usually you couldn't be bothered."

_Why indeed._


	19. Shock

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Arrow' at **iy_themes**.

* * *

"Well?"

"Well, what?" he shot back.

Sango glared. "I asked you a question. It's customary to respond with an answer."

Inuyasha gritted his teeth. "Enough of the damned sarcasm – fine. I'm sorry I came now, I should have just minded my own business like I always do. You happy now?"

She looked away abruptly, looking vulnerable like the girl she really was. "... No."

"Then what?" he demanded, more infuriated by the second. "What the hell do you want me to say?" The hanyou could feel a headache coming on.

"I don't know! Maybe that you actually cared enough about me to be here!"

Sango caught herself, biting her lip as though she had said too much. He blinked at her, not quite comprehending what had transpired.

"Sango?" Inuyasha watched her curiously; she wore an expression very similar to Kikyou's and Kagome's when they mistakenly let something about their feelings slip.

Especially when they concerned him.

"Good night, Inuyasha," she muttered, lying back down, her back to him.

Instinct warned him not to pursue the matter and he reluctantly returned to his perch. That old arrow wound from Kikyou throbbed painfully; he rubbed the sore flesh.

Strange how his heart had pounded hard enough to aggravate it.


	20. Reaching the Limit

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Rebel' at **iy_themes**.

* * *

They did not exchange another word after that particular conflict; in fact, they went out of their way to avoid the other. Eye contact was hastily broken off when accidentally made – as though trying their best to prove each was not surreptitiously looking at the other.

Sango was worse at hiding her feelings than Inuyasha was; Kagome and Miroku noticed, and wondered what had transpired between the pair.

Matters came to a head one night, as they picked at their meal.

Kagome set down her empty dish, fixing Inuyasha with a firm look. "I'm going home tomorrow."

He glanced up sharply. "What?"

"I have a test to study for."

"The hell you're going!" he snapped. "We need to find those damned shards!"

"You always say that every time I ask to go back! Would you rather I stay here for the rest of my life?"

Instead of snapping back tersely, as he always did, Inuyasha surprised everyone by settling down to his food.

"Even if I say no, you're gonna just 'sit' me and go anyway," the hanyou growled in a low voice. "So just do what you like, Kagome. I'm not going to bicker pointlessly with you."

The others gaped in astonishment; Sango forgot to pretend she was ignoring him. "Inuyasha..." she murmured.

The miko's mouth opened and closed silently. This... _resignation_ was so unlike him – Kagome wondered just how much his newly-minted bond – and argument, it seemed – with Sango had changed him.

Miroku was the first to recover. "We'll take the opportunity to rest, Kagome-sama," he said smoothly. "How long will you be gone?"

"Only a few days – I'll be back as soon as I can."

"That's fine." The monk addressed his next words to Inuyasha. "Is it alright if we leave for the village tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah." He left his bowl in the grass and bounded off into the darkness.

Sango watched him go, a troubled look on her face. Reason dictated she leave him alone to cool off; nothing good could come out of confronting an angry, violent, impulsive Inuyasha. But her heart – in the wake of all that had transpired gradually over the past few months – told her otherwise.

He needed someone who cared about him, even if he did not realize it.


	21. Not Anymore

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Holiday' at **iy_themes**.

* * *

Kagome's shoulders sagged. "I… I wasn't expecting things to turn out this way."

Miroku was hurting too, seeing the way Sango went after Inuyasha without hesitation. "… Neither was I."

He poked the fire for want of anything better to do. "If you need to return to your world…"

"I do," she said miserably, "but Inuyasha – "

" – will be fine." The monk smiled at her – _an attempt at maintaining the semblance of normality_, she thought.

He sighed at the look on her face. "Kagome-sama, come here."

Obediently she scooted closer. Miroku laid a hand over hers; it was warm on her clammy skin.

"Look at me."

His eyes flickered as they reflected the firelight. His smile lingered and she longed to wipe it off his pretty face with a slap, like Sango always did.

She wondered just how many times he had truly deserved it.

"I know things have changed, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's a change for the worse." The monk dropped his gaze. "No matter what, they're still our friends."

"… Wait, what?" Kagome asked incredulously. "Miroku-sama, are you saying…?"

She stood up; her heart pounding madly in her chest. Her mind was playing tricks on her –

_It was all wrong. Inuyasha wasn't supposed to let her go without a word; he was supposed to be still here, arguing with her and eating his ramen. Precisely a day after he'd let her go (grudgingly), he'd jump into the well to fetch her… Miroku wasn't supposed to be saying all this; he should be groping Sango and getting slapped for it – and they'd still be slowly falling in love with each other.  
_  
"Kirara," said Kagome. The firecat transformed readily and she climbed on her back. "I'll be back in three days."

"Kagome-sama – "

She was gone.


	22. Mistake

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Run' at **iy_themes**.

* * *

His heart pounded madly in his chest. Lungs burned, as they struggled to keep up with the pace he was setting –

"Inuyasha!"

He spared her a quick glance. She was almost alongside; the hanyou cursed and added a spring to already-overtaxed muscles.

"Inuyasha, stop!"

Inuyasha responded by lowering his head and running even faster. The trees, grass, girl became one indistinguishable blur; his name was swallowed by the roar of the wind in his ears.

When he was sure he had shaken her off, he perched in the branch of a nearby tree and allowed his body to relax.

"Inuyasha."

He leapt to his feet, nearly falling off in the process. "What the – how'd you get here?"

She offered a wry smile, shifting her body into a more comfortable position on the wide branch. "I've traveled with you long enough."

"I bet you don't do the same with Miroku," he challenged, and instantly regretted it when her face closed off. "Look, I don't really – l"

" – save it." Sango pulled one knee up to her chin. "It's fine."

Awkward silence, broken occasionally by the sound of the forest.

"You let me find you."

"What?" growled Inuyasha.

"If you had really wanted to be alone, you would have." She was not looking at him, but he could sense the growing colour in her face. "Why?"

"... I don't need to have an answer for every stupid question you ask." He was eyeing her askance; normally she would only be in this chatty mood with Miroku, never him. It unsettled him – because he never knew what to say, unlike the smooth-talking monk.

He decided to go for the hostile approach.

"Look, I don't know why you followed me, but I wanna be alone. That's why I came out here," he spat. Inuyasha found he could not directly tell her to leave him.

Sango stared impassively. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Damnit, woman," grumbled the hanyou. "There's no need to be so bloody single-minded." He crossed his arms. "I've never needed anyone and I'm not about to start now."

He was somewhat taken aback when she glanced at him. "Oh?"

"Erm... yeah."

"I see," Sango said, more to herself than him. The slayer slid off, landing on her feet in the grass below. "See you back at camp."

He watched her go, the sinking feeling in his chest letting him know he had messed up for the second time that night.


	23. Crossing Boundaries

**Author's Note:** Written for the prompt 'Kiss' at **iy_themes**.

* * *

It was to a sombre camp Sango returned to; Miroku poked the dying fire in silence, barely acknowledging her presence. Shippou had long dozed off, curled against one of Kagome's old clothes for comfort.

"Where's Kagome-chan?"

"She's returned to her world." He scattered brush into the pit. "Kirara will be back shortly."

Sango sat down. "Oh."

The monk glanced up at her as he wiped his hands on his robes. "... Did you find Inuyasha?"

The question should not have surprised her, but she lowered her head nonetheless; her best attempt at concealing the blush that sprang into her cheeks. "Yes."

"Did you talk?"

"Yes, we talked. He said he wanted to be alone so I came back to camp." As she talked, Sango's hands picked at the sleeve of her kimono. The unnatural pause that followed the sentence made Miroku uneasy.

"Sango?"

The slayer blinked. "Yes, Houshi-sama?"

Their eyes met for an instant – and he looked away. "Nothing. It was... nothing."

Miroku had known her long enough to know when she was not telling him everything – and as always, he trusted her to tell him when she was ready.

Even though he had the feeling he was not going to like it.

"Get some sleep, Sango. Tomorrow will be a long day, now that Kagome-sama won't be around to handle Inuyasha's temper."

She made a noncommittal sound.

* * *

The next morning, she woke to find Inuyasha brooding beside the cold firepit. "Sango," he said suddenly when he noticed she was awake. "Mornin'."

"Good morning, Inuyasha," she responded when she had recovered sufficiently from her surprise. Beside her, Shippou stirred against Kirara's warm fur and made a noise of protest.

The hanyou looked away, pushing himself to his feet. "Since you're awake, we can go already. We've wasted enough time."

Miroku entered her field of vision. "What's the rush, Inuyasha? It's barely sunrise."

"We're wasting time," he snapped. "Hell knows what Naraku might be up to." Without waiting for an answer, he stormed off down the road. Miroku and Sango exchanged puzzled glances. Kirara got to her feet, still in her large form as Shippou continued to sleep on her back.

Inuyasha stopped a little way from them. "Oi!" he yelled. "Get a move on!"

Miroku frowned in his direction. _Sure, he was always exceedingly tetchy and short-tempered whenever Kagome-sama returned to her world, but this... Something is different about this time,_ thought Miroku. The monk stole frequent glances at Sango as she packed her things, wanting to ask what had happened the previous night – certainly, there was more then she was letting on.

_Because undoubtedly that is related to Inuyasha's behaviour now._

The monk sighed as he began the walk towards the red-clad figure ahead, Sango at his side. Things were indeed changing, far faster than he would have liked.

* * *

Sango bit her lip as she tied the knot of her carrying cloth with unecessary force. Inuyasha was being an overbearing jerk, and she sensed it had something to do with her.

_I didn't say anything! It was him, who wanted to be alone... him who said he didn't need anyone._

Hot tears prickled at her eyes; she scraped at them furiously and quickened her step. She would_ not_ cry over that arrogant bastard. She _would not_.

_So he never needed anyone – not even Kagome-chan. So he wants to be alone for the rest of his life. So what of it? Why am I so affected?_

The slayer gritted her teeth and walked on, oblivious to the concerned – albeit sad – looks Miroku was giving her.

* * *

Inuyasha held his head high as he walked, both hands thrust into his sleeves. Miroku and Sango trailed a little way behind, both similarly lost in their own worlds. Even the normally talkative Shippou was forlorn – but the hanyou suspected it was more to do with Kagome's absence than the overall mood of his present travelling companions.

The memory of the momentary hurt that had flashed across Sango's face – right before it was replaced by stony indifference – was fresh in his mind.

He scowled. It had been stupid of him to say something like that – especially when he did not mean it at all.

* * *

Camp that night was a subdued affair, exactly like it had been the previous night. Shippou was the only one who ate heartily, polishing off his portion as well as Sango's and Miroku's.

"When's Kagome coming back?" he asked.

Inuyasha pushed his bowl aside. "I dunno, brat." He stormed off into the night. The remaining companions watched him go wordlessly.

"... Shippou." Miroku rested his hand on the kitsune's head. "We've no more water. Do you mind going to fetch some more?"

"Erm... okay."

He waited until Shippou was out of sight before turning to Sango.

"... If you want to go after him again, I won't stop you."

She rounded on him, eyes ablaze with anger. "What are you trying to say?"

Miroku closed his eyes, the picture of serenity – she found it absolutely infuriating. "I won't stand in your way. All I want is your happiness, Sango – mmph!"

Sango had closed the gap between them and pressed her lips to his. It was a forceful kiss, one he returned eagerly; his hands roved down her back as hers cupped his head, pulling them closer –

– and then Sango was pulling away from him, her face crimson. "Houshi-sama – I'm sorry – "

He was still breathing hard. "Sorry? For what?"

"I shouldn't have done that." Her mind was still racing – kissing Miroku, the man who had occupied her affections for the better part of a year and yet only seeing Inuyasha – and the soul-crushing _nothing_ Sango had felt.


	24. Common Ground

**Author's Note:** Writer's block for the longest time, trying to work out how to end this... but the end isn't very far off now.

* * *

"Sango?"

She could not respond, shaking her head dumbly. Something flashed in Miroku's eyes.

"Sango, _I'm_ sorry."

"N – no, don't be!" Breathing hard, she stumbled to her feet, face flushing dark. The last thing she wanted was for Miroku, caring, dependable Miroku, to be apologising for something she had done. "Houshi-sama – "

He stood upright in one smooth movement, his hand reaching for hers. She let it be.

The fine line of the monk's lips tightened. "... You're tired," he said softly. "Nothing happened here tonight, alright?" Miroku took a deep breath and strode away to the tree line, settling himself against a sturdy trunk.

"Good night, Sango," his voice drifted over to her. The flickering firelight illuminated the tilt of his jaw, his face turned from her.

Sango's knees gave way. She bit her lip, doing her best to suppress the tears that welled in her eyes.

* * *

Inuyasha, sulking on a comfortable bough, caught the discomfiting scent of Sango and tears, mixed on the wind. His ears flattened.

Here was a pretty problem, of the variety he had little experience in: girls. Or, in this case, _women_.

The hanyou had two choices; he could go back and find Sango. His instincts were pushing him in that direction, urging him to her side, because _she needed him_.

Inuyasha scowled.

Or he could always stay out in the forest and hope that Miroku would pick up on it, comfort her, and he could return in the morning to find things back to normal.

Which would be fine, unless Miroku himself was the source of those tears.

He wasn't used to caring for people's feelings, let alone their general physical wellbeing. Providing support was something he had learnt with Kikyou, along with numerous other social behaviours.

She had nurtured the human side of him and shown him how important it was.

Inuyasha clenched his jaw. Time was wasting, and the salty-bitter tang was beginning to grate on his senses.

* * *

"Is something wrong, Kagome-chan?"

She looked up from her drink, startled by the abrupt enquiry; up until that moment the conversation had been about Ayumi's favourite pop star and his misdemeanours.

"O – of course not," she said, taking a sip. "What's with the question?"

Eri tapped the paper cup. "You finished that about five minutes ago."

She flushed crimson.

"Well?"

Kagome took a thoughtful sip of air from her straw; how was she going to explain this? When she had told them she was returning to her time to clear her head, it seemed easier said than done. She had hoped the mundanity of daily life would grind feelings out of her – but even geometry and its mind-numbing drudgery had failed. All it made her see was the triangle between herself, the dog-boy and the demon slayer five centuries past.

Yuka leaned in, a serious look on her face. "... Is it that delinquent boyfriend of yours? Is he treating you properly?"

"W – what are you implying?" Too late, she felt the colour rise in her cheeks; getting defensive over nothing at all was bound to arouse their suspicions.

All three girls adopted serious expressions, Eri even reaching over to pat Kagome's hand. "Kagome-chan, we want you to know that we're here for you."

"Don't keep quiet, okay?"

She could have laughed. Somewhere in a detached corner of her mind she was sure she was laughing.

* * *

When Sango had recovered her composure sufficiently, she picked up her wakizashi. Casting a quick glance over at Miroku (Shippou stirred in his lap), she slipped into the forest.

She hadn't walked far when a dark shape landed in front of her.

"Where are you going?" he asked without preamble.

"A walk. I wanted to train for a bit." She nodded at the short sword in her hand.

Inuyasha studied her closely; overbright eyes, the taut way she held herself, the rigidity of her jaw. "You're in no condition to be training right now."

She started at the gentleness in his voice; and bristled in response. "I don't need you to tell me what I can or can't do."

"And I'm not," he snapped back. "I'm not going to do that to you, of all people."

They glared daggers at each other for a heartbeat. Sango broke the tension by slowly wrapping her fingers around the hilt of her sword. He caught the glimmer in her eyes, and nodded almost imperceptibly.

Her draw was lightning-quick; he parried easily with his claws and sprang back. She pressed close, the blade humming in the narrow space between their bodies. Inuyasha struck – and was repulsed, having judged the moment inaccurately.

They sparred without words, the clang of sword meeting claw filling the void.

And as abruptly as it had started, they pulled away and paused to catch their breath. Sango sheathed her weapon and tossed it into the grass casually.

"Thank you," she breathed, her eyes still ablaze with the thrill of combat. He nodded, knowing it to be reflected in his own.

* * *

They had both sat in the grass, neither one willing to move. The sparring session had relieved the tense atmosphere somewhat, and it was a comfortable silence they inhabited.

"You ought to be getting some sleep," remarked Inuyasha.

"I really should," she concurred.

He sensed there was something she wasn't telling him yet, but he was perfectly comfortable with that; all the negative energy had been worked out of her system, and he trusted Sango to share it when she was ready.

_How different from dealing with Kagome,_ he thought wryly.

"Inuyasha?"

"Hnn?"

"Do you think they were right?"

Instantly he knew what she was driving at, what had been dogging them both for ages.

"Right about what?" he hedged, wondering when had he gotten so evasive.

"Us," Sango said simply.

Her candour, easily a match for his, threw him off enough to make the first mistake. "This... this wasn't supposed to happen," Inuyasha said hastily, and regretted it immediately after.

"Glad to see you feel the same way," she remarked acidly.

"Shut up, dammit! Why do you have to make this so difficult?" he snarled back.

"Me? You're blaming me? You started this – you and _those_ things about Houshi-sama and I – " Sango bit her lip.

Inuyasha visibly deflated. "... I understand."

"Inuyasha – "

He drew back from her. "Look, Sango, maybe we both made a very big mistake, okay?"

"Mistake?" she echoed. Sango had to pause; to choose her next words carefully – the disconcerting feeling of having the bottom dropping out of her stomach stilled her tongue.

He ran a clawed hand through his hair. "This could have been so much easier if we had just fallen for the right people. You and Miroku, me and Kagome – "

And then they came to her in a flash. "You're wrong," she heard herself say, "we did fall for the right person. In the end."

His cheeks reddened.

_There. It had been said. _Her mind had never felt clearer. It was so simple, when she stopped thinking about consequences and others.

She loved him, and he returned those feelings.

Shyly, she stepped forward, closing the gap between them. Hands encircled her back in that slightly awkward manner she was accustomed to observing from afar.

"It won't be easy."

Sango made an impatient noise, muffled against his shoulder. "If I wanted easy, I would have married Kuranosuke and spent the rest of my life as a pretty ornament sitting on a silk cushion."

Inuyasha pulled away a little so she could see his eyes; deep gold as always, transparent with amusement, happiness, shy affection. "You're kidding."

"Never been so serious in my life."

They were quickly falling back into the easy banter of their friendship – the interaction of comrades-in-arms accustomed to entrusting their lives to one another. Only this time, it was so much more.


End file.
